RESTORING NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP (I) "UNDERSTANDING WORSHIP"

Larry Pasley

SCRIPTURE - (John 4:19-24)  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. {20} "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." {21} Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. {22} "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. {23} "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. {24} "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

INTRODUCTION

A. WORSHIP IS NEVER REALLY DEFINED IN THE BIBLE

B. IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WORSHIP REALLY IS WE WILL LOOK AT HOW THE WORD IS USED THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.

C. AS WE LOOK AT THE WORD WORSHIP, ASK YOURSELF, HOW WERE THEY WORSHIPPING, WHAT IS "WORSHIP" IN THIS CONTEXT?

         

I. WORSHIP IS AN ACT (VERB)

1. (Gen 22:5)  And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
2. Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.

II. WORSHIP INVOLVES A VARIETY OF BODILY POSITIONS

A. BOWING THE HEAD - (Gen 24:26-27)  Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. {27} And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."

B. BOWING THE BODY - (Josh 5:14)  So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"

C. STANDING -(Exo 33:10)  All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.

D.. KNEELING - (Psa 95:6)  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

E. LEANING - (Heb 11:21)  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

III. WORSHIP IS MISDIRECTED AT TIMES

1. THEIR OWN CREATION - (Jer 1:16)  I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.

2. HEAVENLY BODIES - (Deu 4:19)  "And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

3. CREATURES - (Rom 1:22-25)  Professing to be wise, they became fools, {23} and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. {24} Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, {25} who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

4. ANY OTHER GODS - (Deu 8:19)  "Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

IV. WORSHIP IS LIMITED TO GOD ONLY

1. (Exo 34:14)  '(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
2. Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "

V. WORSHIP IS CONNECTED TO OTHER THINGS

A. SERVICE

1. (Dan 3:28)  Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!

2. (Mat 4:10)  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

3. (Rom 1:25)  who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

B. SACRIFICE

1. (Deu 26:10)  'and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me.' Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God.

2. (2 Ki 17:36)  "but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.

C. PRAISE - (2 Chr 7:3)  When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever."

D. SINGING - (2 Chr 29:30)  Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

E. CONFESSION - (Neh 9:3)  And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.

F. HOLINESS - (1 Chr 16:29)  Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

G. GLORY - (Psa 29:1-2)  Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. {2} Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

H. HONOR - (Psa 66:2-4)  Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. {3} Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. {4} All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah

I. WORDS

1. (Mat 8:2)  And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

2 (Mat 9:18)  While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."

3. (Mat 14:33)  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

J. TRUTH & SINCERITY

1.    (Mat 15:8-9)  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. {9} And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

2.    (John 4:23-24)  "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. {24} "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

K. AT SET TIMES (SOMETIMES)

1. (1 Sam 1:3)  This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

2. (Isa 66:23)  And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD.

L. AT SET PLACES (SOMETIMES)

1. (2 Sam 12:20)  So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

2. (2 Sam 15:32)  Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God; there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

3. (Psa 99:9)  Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.

4. (Zep 2:11)  The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations.

5. (John 4:20-21)  "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." {21} Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.

M. AT SET DIRECTIONS AT TIMES - (Psa 5:7)  But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

CONCLUSION

A. WORSHIP IS AN ATTITUDE THAT PRODUCES AN ACTION THAT SHOWS YOUR ALLEGIANCE, DEVOTION, SUBMISSION, DEDICATION

B. OLD TESTAMENT - SHACHAH - PROSTRATE SELF TO - (Isa 46:6)  They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.

C. NEW TESTAMENT

1. PROSKUNEO - TO KISS THE HAND TOWARD - (1 Cor 14:24-25)  But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. {25} And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

2. LATREUO - MORE ACCURATELY TRANSLATED SERVICE - (Phil 3:3)  For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

D. YOUR WORSHIP CAN BEGIN BY OBEYING GOD BY

1. REPENTING OF YOUR SINS - (Acts 17:30)  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

2. CONFESSING JESUS AS LORD - (Rom 10:9)  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

3. BEING BAPTIZED(1 Pet 3:21)  There is also an antitype which now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

E. DOES YOUR WORSHIP INCLUDE HOLINESS AND SERVICE?